BAGUIO CITY – The en banc of the Regional Development Council – Cordillera Administrative Region (RDC-CAR) approved the implementation of 21 projects that will be undertaken by various government agencies, local governments and private sectors to boost the renewed pursuit for regional autonomy this year.
Milagros A. Rimando, regional director of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) and RDC-CAR vice chairperson, said the projects were divided into 16 projects for information and education campaign and alliance building, 4 projects for capability building and one project for program management.
“The project proposals received from local government units, regional line agencies and non-government organizations have gone through a meticulous review by an inter-agency technical working group comprised of NEDA, DILG, DBM and a representative of the private sector of the RDC-CAR,” Rimando stressed.
She said all the 21 projects will be funded under the P15 million earmarked for the social preparation of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) into an autonomous region which has been lodged with the NEDA-CAR.
According to her, inputs were developed based on the University of the Philippines – National Center for Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG) study on the earlier plans by the information and education campaign speakers and alliance building partners in a recent workshop.
The IEC projects with their corresponding budget are the Cordillera month celebration and other related activities in Apayao – P1.4 million; advocating regional autonomy with farmers cooperatives in Abra – P685,000; barangay and municipal information drive campaign in the 16 barangays of La Trinidad – P483,500; cooperative general assembly and advocacy forum on regional autonomy in Tabuk City, Kalinga – P144,0000; documentation of struggles for autonomy – P500,000; existing and vanishing practices on autonomy in the Cordillera – P427,500; IEC through national and local media – P1,000,000; Lagawe IEC on Cordillera autonomous region – P390,000; multi-sectoral IEC on autonomy – P2,500,000; production of radio drama on autonomy – P120,000 and promotion collaterals and IEC materials on regional autonomy – P1,500,000.
Under alliance building, the projects that will be undertaken by the RDC-CAR and its partners to improve the clamor for regional autonomy include linkage with national and local partners – P700,000; social preparation of CAR for autonomy capability building and year-end and mid-year assessment P400,000; year-end assembly for capability building for IEC partners – P150,000; year-end assembly with capability building for alliance building partners – P150,000 and national conference on regional autonomy – P1,000,000
In terms of capability building, the RDC-CAR projects include RDC-CAR Forwarding Local Autonomy Medal of Excellence (FLAME) awards – P500,000; Piloting results monitoring and evaluation and small irrigation projects in the Cordillera – P150,000; geographic information and planning of Cordillera growth centers – P600,000 and trailblazing CAR local governments competitiveness – P200,000.
Rimando disclosed around P2 million will be used up for program management, particularly the salaries and wages of job orders and consultancy services amounting to P1,485,000 and administrative operation amounting to P515,000.
The multi-sectoral activities for autonomy include the Cordillera Coalition for Autonomy Movement – P165,000; IEC in Tabuk City, Kalinga – P175,000; Municipal for a on autonomy in Mountain Province – P195,000; multi-sectoral IEC annual assembly – P15,000; IEC on autonomy by St. Paul’s Credit Cooperative – P48,000 and Seminar/Orientation Regional Autonomy for Teachers – P300,000.
By Dexter A. See
